Starry Night
by BurrbleFish
Summary: Shikamaru was a simple man. Cloud-watching was his forte, not star-gazing. So how exactly did Sakura rope him into staring at the night sky with her? :: ShikaSaku


**•** **Rated K+ ****•**

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******•** STARRY NIGHT **•**  


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Shikamaru Nara was a simple man.

He enjoyed the smaller things in life - dandelions and their endless fun, the way babies laugh, and the way that the clouds moved.

_Especially_ the way the clouds moved.

Cloud-watching was something people always took for granted. People often thought that it was a childish, pointless hobby. That it was way too slow-paced for a ninja as highly ranked and honored as Shikamaru.

But to him, it was _more_.

Cloud-watching was like an escape. The same way Sai would draw, or the way Neji would train. It was just a way to sort of...sort of _vent_. Each shape the clouds took on changed whenever he stared long enough, and it fascinated him the way his brain could comprehend pre and post change, but not the change itself.

Others complained over it's snail-like pace, which clashed horribly with such a quick career he led. But that was what eased him - the slowness that presented itself for once. Living so quickly was just like dragging out your life and not living it to the fullest - even if they were ninja.

Ninjas or not, they were human, one and all.

Every argument over his hobby had him waving off those picking a fight. They may not like it, but he preferred it.

Maybe, unlike them, he _liked_ to escape.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed contentedly, rolling his shoulders back, then gently following the rest of his body. He laid comfortably on the grass, stretching his arms to settle crossed behind his head.

His calm, clear gaze slowly glanced up and caught sight of the beautiful scene above him: perfect, oceanic-blue sky painted the canvas, puffs of fluffy, cotton-like clouds littering it. He felt his tense muscles, raw skin, and overworked body relax at the comfortable sight.

It truly was art up there.

He imagined letting himself float amongst the soft fabric of the carefully knitted clouds while absentmindedly sighting odd shapes and pictures in them. He imagined letting the light water seep through his clothes just enough to cool him off, then letting the tenseness in his back disappear along with his worries.

Stress, anxiety - foreign words to him at the moment.

Everything left him like a waterfall. All that mattered right now was the sky.

Oh, how simply poetic it appeared to be.

Shikamaru thought without thinking, stared without staring. He was definitely working his mind, but it was also numbed out. It all passed like a blur.

Right now, it didn't matter.

It escaped him, really. Minutes turned into hours so quick. He couldn't believe his day was already ending. Two P.M. turned into seven P.M. Time flowed like a river; easily but swiftly.

He couldn't remember how long he just laid there. He couldn't remember how many of his friends had come to check on him. He couldn't remember how many times they each complained about his laziness, then disappeared.

He most certainly couldn't remember when Sakura Haruno appeared, lying on the grass beside him as if she had been there the whole time. But he was so out of it, he wouldn't be surprised if she was.

"Hey..." she said softly, contrasting her slightly roughened appearance. He guessed she had just returned from her mission.

"Hello," he simply replied, sighing then leaning up.

She was silent the rest of the time he was busying himself. The sky had repainted itself into an entirely different array of colors; pinks, purples, reds, and oranges blended, a darkness peaking over the edge whilst the sun began disappearing.

He had no intention of staying after his cloud-watching was over with.

"Leaving so soon?" Sakura inquired from her perch. Shikamaru was fully on his feet and he glanced down at her lax form, one he didn't know she was capable of due to her always busied body at the hospital.

He noticed a few things, then.

Her ANBU armor was no longer the stark white she had left with - it was now colored slightly beige. Her black clothing was ripped and tattered and her hair mussed, wild, and unkempt. Blood splattered themselves across her ensemble, even going as far as smearing against her cheek.

Rough mission?

But what really caught his gaze were her eyes.

The usually brilliant, fiery emeralds were reduced to glimmering jades - from the sunset or not, he didn't know.

"...Yeah..." he finally answered, turning his back to her after a few moments. He began walking away.

"Why?"

He stopped.

"...What?"

"Why?" she repeated.

He turned. "Why what?"

"Why are you leaving so suddenly?"

Shikamaru shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets once he saw that she craned her neck to make eye-contact with him. "It's not day time. No clouds out here," he said without missing a beat, assuming his explanation was enough.

"...But what about night time?" she murmured almost inaudibly.

"...I...Hn..." he reluctantly answered. Why _was_ it that he left right at sunset, anyways?

"You don't like watching at night?" she inquired. The moon revealed itself, the remnants of the fruity sky flushing out into the distance. It casted an oddly breath-taking gleam on her elven countenance, enhancing the beauty Shikamaru always denied he saw.

He denied such things because there was _no way_ he could like her, right?

"No, it's not really my thing," Shikamaru replied smoothly, hiding his slight falter in composition. She only made a noise signaling she heard, before laying her head back down, comfortably looking at the sky.

"Star-gazing is better than cloud-watching," she said, nonchalantly.

Shikamaru continued to stare at the top of her head, raising an eyebrow, even though she had already glanced away. "No, it isn't," he muttered, absentmindedly.

"Yes, it is."

"Isn't."

"Is."

"_Isn't_."

"_Is._"

"_Sakura_.

"Shika."

He pursed his lips, fighting to keep the amusement from appearing on his features. What were they arguing about again?

She sighed. "_Why_ is cloud-watching so special?" she questioned, stressing her words out.

Without Shikamaru knowing, his body had managed to move itself automatically to sit down beside Sakura's lying form, elbows on his knees. It was like she was a magnet and he was iron. What in the...-?

"Because when you cloud-watch," he began, almost robot-like. Did he not have control over his actions? What the-, "you imagine you can fly. And what it's like to be able to lay on the clouds and feel the sun. It's an escape."

He thought she would laugh mockingly. Call him lazy, imaginative, and completely lunatic. Something. _Anything_. And then get up and walk away from him. Escaping, imagining, dreaming - all unheard of when it came to shinobi.

But she didn't. She only chuckled, a light, airy sound. It wasn't special, but he definitely didn't mind listening to it often.

"Who's to say it's nothing like star-gazing?"

He looked at her incredulously. "The night time brings danger, Sakura. Danger and fear."

Sakura sighed and rolled onto her side, facing away from Shikamaru. He instantly regretted his words.

"Sakura-"

"-Night time could also bring tranquility," she interrupted quietly. "It brings peace, like the day time."

"When people see day time, they look forward to the light. The light's something everyone looks for in life because it means hope," Shikamaru countered suddenly.

"But what if it's false hope?" she questioned. He paused.

"...False...hope...? Like...Like fake _light_?" He glanced down onto his lap, pondering. He never thought of it that way...

"Yeah, like fake light. False hope. All of that," she elaborated. She rolled back, facing the sky once more. "It's tranquil out here."

"We could get _killed_ at anytime out here," Shikamaru pointed out. "Enemies like to strike in the dark."

"It's tranquil." Sakura repeated.

"What are you-"

"Just see for yourself," she insisted, clashing eyes with his. He fell silent at that. "_Try_."

He sucked in a breath and hesitated.

Would it..._hurt_...to try star-gazing for once...?

...

Of course not. It wouldn't replace cloud-watching, so...so why not?

Shikamaru nodded his head once. He slowly unfolded the cross his legs took on and stretched them out before him, laying back down once again, aware of the expectant eyes on him. Shikamaru inhaled sharply, the grass cooler than earlier. But it wasn't necessarily..._unpleasant._

Sakura smiled softly towards him, small and miniscule but tender all the same. His heart skipped a beat at the sight.

She motioned with her arms slowly and the two of them both looked up at the sky.

It was then that Shikamaru's breath was taken away.

The sky was perfection.

The midnight, velvet curtain that drooped across the expanse was littered with tiny, brightly shining diamonds circling the round halo of the moon, depicting the sight of the perfect post-sunset.

He suddenly saw things he didn't notice whilst cloud-watching.

The trees bristled just slightly in the cool breeze, bringing the smell of fresh wood, dew, and cherry blossom to his nostrils. It made a nice mix. Crickets, frogs, owls - nearly all creatures of the night - made easy, flowing noises that blended into an orchestrated lullaby. _His_ new lullaby.

So gorgeous and scenic...

It was so peaceful, so serene. No wonder Sakura loved it here-

He looked to his left, registering and ignoring the fact that he relaxed so quickly. How odd...

Sakura laid there, her candyfloss hair forming a veil of pink around her. Her lips parted slightly to give herself steady, even breaths. The small button nose, the high, naturally blossomed cheeks. Her eyes were closed, lashes brushing against her skin. Behind those closed eyelids, he imagined the gemstones she hid.

He realized she was asleep, then.

"Sakura..." he whispered carefully, reaching a hand to shake her shoulder awake. She wouldn't budge. "Sakura?" More shaking. "Sakura." Shake. Shake. Shake. "Oi. _Sakura_."

Did girls always do that whenever they were alone with a guy? Ino, Temari - heck, even Anko! - had done this to him.

Just so the guy could take them home.

...

And yet...?

This time... It didn't seem so much of a hassle...

He pushed those thoughts into the back of his mind.

Shikamaru sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose then glancing back down at her. That mission must've taken a lot out of her to render her so unguarded and vulnerable.

He had to go see Tsunade about a day off for her.

'What should I do?' - a question he asked himself.

He paused to relish in the calming night. It truly was enchanting.

He didn't mind seeing this again.

With some new resolve, he turned to the slumbering form of the pinkette. One, carefully placed arm reached around her torso, wrapping firmly while the other hooked underneath her knees. He picked her up, effortlessly.

Sakura nuzzled against the new-found warmth and Shikamaru suddenly felt heat rushing to his face. A blush. He forced it down with difficulty.

"...Troublesome..." he mumbled as he found his balance and began walking in the direction he knew she currently lived in.

But he couldn't help the smile that reached his lips.

Beneath the starry night, Shikamaru Nara fell in love.

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******•** **So what did you think? This was a tribute to Katara-Hatake. She absolutely adores ShikaSaku ********•**

******************•** I do, too. The fluff was just so hard too resist XD ******•**  


**************************•** This one-shot hit EXACTLY 2000 words, and I'm quite impressed and proud with myself with such a pointless accomplishment :P ******•**  


**********************************•** And can I just say? -Terra-san, I saw your review for 'Boomerang' and you are my role-model. I, too, am a supposed 'diamond in the rough'. Therefore, your reviewing plus your words have truly struck something within me. I have a new muse ;) Thank you so much! ******•**  


******************-burrblefish  
**


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